Clutch mechanism for grinders and choppers.



H. L. JOHNSTON.

CLUTCH MECHAN 0R GRINDERS AND CHOPPERS. APPLIC T r1150 MAR. 1. I915.

1,156,904.. v Patented 0m. 19, 1915.

HERBERT L. JOHNSTON, OF TROY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOBART MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF TROY, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CLUTCH. MECHANISM FOR GRINDERS AND CHOPPERS.

specificatlon of Letters Patent. 1 i Patented O t, 19, 1915 Application filed March 1, 1915. Serial No. 11,350.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT L. JOHNSTON,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Troy, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutch Mechanism for Grinders and Choppers; of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of th1s specification.

My invention relates to power driven grinding and chopping machines in which power delivered to a rotatable member by motor, or by some independent power source, is connected up with the shaft of a grinding or a'chopping device. I

Inmachines of this type, it is often desirable-to have both a grinder and a chopper, and itis one of the objects of my invention to provide power mechanism for actuating at the same time, or independently a grinding device and a chopping device.

It is also the objectof my invention to provide a clutch mechanism of a non-friction type, which can be easily and effectively thrown in and out and which is of such construction that it can be operated from either side of the complete device.

These objects-I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed, wherein a reciprocating s'lidlng shaft is employed for transmission of power,

85 said shaft having squared ends suitably guided into squared sockets by certain new and useful means. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central, longitudinal vertical section of the device. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the clutch actuating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3, 3, of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an elevation facing the squared socket member for the grinding tool. Fig.

, 5 is a section taken through the center thereof. 4

Mounted on a supportin standard 1 is an electric motor 2, having a s aft 3, fitted with a suitable pinion 4'. A large gear case 5 is'secured to the standard 1, and is provided with a sleeve member 6 engaging in a proper sleeve member 7 formed on the standard. Mounted in this gear case is a large gear 8,

which is keyed .at 9 to a hollow shaft or sleeve 10. The gear case? has a conically projecting member 11, in which may be mounted the casing (not shown) of a grinder, and the shaft 10 has a squared socket 12 to receive a grinder shaft.

In another journal member 13 formed on the standard 1 is mounted the hollow shaft or sleeve 14. Mounted in a circumferential groove 15 in this hollow shaft14 is an arc beneath the motor, is the shaft 23. This shaft has a long squared end 24, which is adapted to engagein the squared end 25 of the hollow shaft 10 first mentioned. At the middle of this shaft, is a pair of collars 26, 26, spaced apart to receive thefingers 27, 27, of the clutch throwing sleeve 28. This sleeve is fixedly mounted on a tubular member 29, which extends through both sides of the standard 1, and within this tubular member is the shaft 30. The shaft is screwthreaded at one of its ends to receive a handle 31, which handle has a socket 32 to screw over the said end. The shaft 30 has two lugs 33, 33, at each end, which engage slots in the tubular member 29. The shaft 30 has also a screwthreaded end-at its other point of projection over the standard 1, and on this is mounted a nut 34 to hold the parts together. I

The operationlof the clutch by means of the handle 31 results in a turning ,of theshaft 30 which, being keyed as statedto the tubnlarmember 29, accomplishes a throwing of the fingers 27 which engage against either of the collars 26 and slide the shaft- 23 in the direction desired. It is also to be noted that by removing the nut 34 and the handle 31 from the end .of this shaft 30, the parts may be reversed," and the handle screwed on at .theend where the nut had formerly been. placed, thereby resultingin the'removal of the handle from one side' of the machine to another, to suit the .con-' venience of the operator. a

'38'of the squared socket.

For suitably guiding and insuring the proper engagement of the shaft 23 with the hollow shaft or sleeve 14 for-the chopping mechanism, the construction and arrangement of parts'is as follows: The shaft 14 is provided with a squared-socket 35, which'has the slightly rounded indentations 36 at the center of each side, and the notches 37 are cut in the end of the shaft so that their deepest portion leads directly to the corners v The end of the shaft 23 is squared at 39 and provided with a rounded end 40. When the clutch is thrown so that the squared end 39 is .en-

.tirely removed from its socket, the rounded end 40 will remain within the socket 35. The engagement of this rounded end in the socket will be a loose one, but will be held against jarring owing to the presence of the indentations 36'aforementioned. When it is desired to throw the shaft 23 back into clutched position with the hollow' shaft .4, the rounded end 40 then serves as a guide to properly center the movement of the shaft 23 and the notches 37 will guide the corners of the squared end. 39 directly into the corners of the socket 35.

. Where a machine is provided with a meat chopper, for example, on the right hand end,

and a coffee mill on the left hand end, it. is often desirable to operate the coflee mill when the meat chopper is not in use. Under these conditions, it is desirable that the meat chopper should not be driven so as to save power in overcoming the friction of the chopper, and also to prevent unnecessary wear thereof. It is, of course, more convenient to allow the chopper to'remain in place than to remove it while the coffee is eing ground, and it also frequently happens, even -though the chopper" alone is mounted on the machine, that it is desired to stop the chopper for only a few seconds, when it is more advisable to disconnect the chopper from the motor, or other power device, than to throw off the power and start it again. Y

It is believed to be plain that by my clutch, I am enabled to drive a device at one end ofth e machine together with, or independent from, a device at the other end.

The advantage due to the method of mounting the clutch handle has been noted,

and it is desired finally to call particular at- 'tention to the novel and useful method of insuring proper engagement of the squared shaft wish the squared socket from which 1t is removable.

It is not desired, because of reference to specific mechanical details, to limit the claims that follow to any particular mechanical devices among the range of equivalents, when other than specific terms are use Havingthus described my invention, what rotatable 'member, a casing, means for mounting a device to be operated on said caslng, means for connecting'the rotatable member to the shaft of such device, a slidmg shaft mounted in said casing having movable connection with the rotatable member, another means on said casing for mountmg a device to be operated, connection from the sliding shaft to the shaft of such device, and means for sliding said shaft out of its connectlon.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a driving member, of a clutch member having movable connection therewith, a squared portion on the clutch member, a driven member, said driven member having a similarly squared socket, and a rounded end on the clutch member to lie in said socket when the squared portion is withdrawn to serve as a guide.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a driving member, of a clutch member having movable connection therewith, a squared portion on the clutch member, a driven member, said driven mem ber having a similarly squared socket, and a rounded end on the clutch member to lie in said socket when the squared portion is withdrawn to serve as a uide, the'walls of said socket having roun ed depressions to properly journal the rounded member.

4;. In a device of the character described, the combination with adriving member, of a clutch member havingmovable connection therewith, a squared ortion of the clutch member, a driven mem ier, said driven member having a similarly squared socket, and a rounded end on the clutch member to lie in said socket when the squared portion is withdrawn to serve as a guide, the walls of said socket having rounded depressions to properly journal the rounded member, and notches in the end of said socket forming portion of the driven member having their deepest portion adjacent to the corner of said socket, to'draw said squared clutch portion into-proper meshing position.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a driving member, of a clutch member having movable connection therewith, a squared portion on the clutch member, a driven member, said driven member having a similarly squared socket, and a rounded end on the clutch member to lie in said socket when the squared portion is withdrawn to serve as a guide, and notches in the end of said socket forming portion of the driven member having their deepest portion adjacent to thecorner of said socket, to draw said squared clutch portion into proper meshing position.

6. In a device of the character described,

its

the combination with a driving member,

means for connecting a tool shaft thereto, a

clutch member having movable connection therewith, a squared portion'on the clutch member, a driven member having a socket shaped to fit said squared portion and means for connectin member, for t e purpose described.

7 In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing, a driving member mounted thereon, a movable clutch member, a tubular member revolubly mounted in the casing, means on the tubular me'mher for actuating said clutch, a handle for rocking the tubular member, and means for keying it toeither end of the tubular member, whereby the handle may be changed without dismounting the clutch actuating member.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing, a driving a tool shaft-to said driven.

the tubular member, a shaft keyed to said tubular member and extending through the casing, and means for mounting the handle on either protruding end thereof.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing, a driving member mounted thereon, a movable clutch member, a shaft jonrnaled in the casing, a clutch actuating member mounted on the shaft, a handle, and means for mounting the handle on either end of the shaft, whereby the clutch may be operated from either side of the casing.

ERBERT L. J OHNSTON, Witnesses: 4

- R. W. Dnwnrsa, S. T. KUNKEL. 

